The Copper Queens made a perfect start to their 2026 WAFCON campaign with a commanding 6-0 victory over Egypt in their Group C opener on Tuesday night, as captain Barbra Banda produced a four-goal masterclass.
Experienced defender Racheal Nachula and debutant Eneless Phiri were also on target as the Copper Queens moved to the top of the group on goal difference ahead of Malawi, who defeated Nigeria.
The Copper Queens controlled the proceedings from the opening whistle and repeatedly exposed the Egyptian defence. Banda threatened early but was twice denied by goalkeeper Maha Shehata before Zambia earned a penalty midway through the first half after Amira Mohamed pulled back the skipper inside the box.
Nachula calmly converted from the spot in the 25th minute to hand Zambia a deserved lead. Zambia maintained their dominance after the break and doubled their advantage on the hour mark when VAR awarded another penalty for handball by Mohamed.
Banda made no mistake from the spot before adding a third goal three minutes later, heading home from a precise Prisca Chilufya cross after being left unmarked inside the area. The Orlando Pride striker completed her hat-trick in the closing stages after reacting quickest to a loose ball in the penalty area.
Debutant Phiri then marked her first appearance with a superb strike from the edge of the box before Banda rounded off the emphatic victory in stoppage time from Racheal Kundananji’s cut-back to complete her four-goal haul.
And speaking during a post- match press conference, Copper Queens coach Nora Häuptle praised her side’s discipline and focus after the victory, revealing that she had challenged the players to embrace two Bemba expressions as part of her coaching philosophy.
“We demanded ‘akalata’ and also ‘umupampamina’ which is resilience and aggressiveness that we want until the last second.” Said Häuptle.
“We shifted our focus from social media and other distractions, and today the players showed that mentality by staying focused and scoring even in the final minutes.”
And Banda said the convincing win was an encouraging start but insisted the team’s attention had already turned focus to the next challenge.
“It feels so good and we are so excited as a team. We bury this one and now we are looking forward to the next game because we are taking each match as it comes. The tribute after the first goal was for coach Bruce Mwape, and we remain united as a team while remembering the great work he did for us.”
Zambia’s next match is on Saturday, August 1, 2026 against Nigeria who lost to Malawi in Tuesday’s late kickoff.
